Microphone and adapter for attachment to saxophone



D -2,1969 O "R'QBABmK-Y agma MICROPHONE AND ADAPTER FOR ATTACHMENT T0SAXOPHONE Filed Aug 15, 1967 To Amplifier Raymond 6. Babicky I INVENTOR.

US. Cl. 84--1.01 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A microphone whichlends itself to acceptable use on any horn having a bell. A volumecontrol knob is mounted on the hub of a spider-like adapter frame havinglegs terminating in padded hooks two of which are hung over the rim ofthe bell at the top and the other one at the bottom being bendable andclipped in place. The cable means embodies one component joined to themicrophone, the other one to an amplifier. The adjacent cable ends areseparably joined by a pull responsive coupling. If anyone trips over thecable the coupling will pull apart and safeguard the player and horn.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to sound pickup meansfor musical instruments which are equipped at the tone discharge endwith a bell, such as for example brass instruments and reed instruments,and has to do with an appropriate cable-equipped microphone wherein aspecial purpose break-away cable leads to and is connected with anamplifier and a triple-legged spider-like frame or adapter supports anddetachably mounts the microphone on the mouth-end of the bell.

PRIOR ART It is old in this field of endeavor to equip brass and reedinstruments with electrical pickups. Prior patents teach the idea ofelectrical amplification for clarinets wherein a microphone on thebarrel or, alternatively, mouthpiece is operably connectible with avolume-controlled speaker unit. Then, too, persons conversant with theart under advisement are aware that it is not new, broadly stated, tomount pickup means on a trumpet or a cornet bell. The fact that priorart adaptations have not met, or so it would seem, with enthusiasticendorsement and commerciable or widespread use has given rise to theherein disclosed improvement wherein the adapter or frame for the volumecontrollable microphone is unique and the coupling-equipped cable, forsafeguarding use, is an innovation.

SUMMARY Briefly and broadly the concept, construed as a novelcombination achieving an improved end result, is directed to a musicalinstrument such as a saxophone and the combination therewith of anappropriate microphone and an adapter on which said microphone isoperatively and accessibly mounted, said adapter embodying meanswherebell-mouth, and cable means having one end operatively by it can bereadily attached to and removed from said joined to said microphone andmeans at its other end for operative connection with a suitablemusical-instrumenttype amplifier.

More specifically, novelty is predicated on a sound pickup microphonesuitable for the particular horn on which it is to be used, saidmicrophone having selfcontained manually regulatable volume controlmeans operatively attached cable means for connection with anappropriate amplifier, and an adapter on which said microphone ismounted, said adapter having self-con- United States Patent O T3,482,026 Patented Dec. 2, 1969 ICC tained means which is capable ofbeing attached to the mouth portion of the bell of said horn, andwherein said adapter comprises a one-piece frame having a flat centralhub portion with an axial opening in which a component part of saidmicrophone is fittingly detachably mounted and is provided with twoupper legs with terminal orienting and supporting hooks and acomplemental lower leg with a manually bendable hook which is capable ofbeing releasably but retentively snapped in place.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a view showing a fragmentaryportion of a saxophone in perspective and showing, what is moreimportant, the microphone and the spider-like adapter or frame on whichit is mounted and how the frame or adapter is mounted for use on thebell with coupled components of the cable or cord suspended.

FIG. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale with parts in section andelevation showing the pull responsive coupling means which functions tojoin adjacent or coacting ends of the cable components.

And FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the principalcomponent parts of the microphone and the spider-type adapter frame.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT By way of introduction to thedescription of the details it is to be pointed out that the microphone,adapter and cable combination, construed as a combination or anassemblage, is usable when properly proportioned on the lip or mouthportion of the bell of any musical instrument which terminates in abell. This means that the expression saxophone or the like is to beconstrued as covering any one of the saxophones of the over-allsaxophone family, cornets, trumpets, trombones and other bellequippedmusical instruments. Manifestly there are times when players ofinstruments in the category stated are called upon to perform standoutpassages and with a microphone atttached directly to the bell of theinstrument it is obvious that a result more satisfying to the performercan be attained. In FIG. 1 the saxophone is denoted generally by theletter A, the bell at B and the rim or lip at C.

The microphone is of the composite construction suggested generally inFIG. 3 and is here conveniently denoted as a unit by the numeral 6. Withreference to FIG. 3 the numeral 8 designates a finger grippable volumecontrol knob and 10 designates an assembling nut connectible with thescrew threaded shank 12 which in practice is designed and adapted topass through a suitable aperture or hole 14 provided at the axialportion of the hub part 15 of the adapter frame 18. This part 18 can bedesignated as an adapter, a frame or a readily attachable and detachablespider. Reverting to the microphone it embodies component parts 20including the microphone proper as at 22 and which is associated with acoaxial bafiie 24 with all parts fitting together within the confines ofan annular shell or casing 26. The cable means is denoted, generallyspeaking, by the numeral 28. As to the adapter it is a one-pieceflat-faced frame with a plurality of radial circumferentially spacedlegs. The upper legs, which are identical in construction are denoted at30 and the lower adaptable leg is denoted at 32. The upper legs 30 areprovided with suitable protective pads or cushions 34 and terminalsubstantially rigid hooks 36 which are spaced apart in a manner thatthey can be hung and suspended over the lip or rim of the bell mouth Bin the manner shown in FIG. 1. The lower free end portion of the leg 32is provided not only with a suitable pad 38 but with bent portions 40and 42 and a terminal free end portion 44 which features combine inproviding a bendable as well as a snap-on adapter positioning andretaining hook. In use the user will have to bend the features 40, 42and 44 in order to satisfactorily apply and retain the leg 32 aptly andsatisfactorily in place.

The adapter frame and microphone thereon is a highly important aspect ofthe over-all concept. Also, the cable means 28 is an innovation in thatit comprises an upper component part 46 and a lower component part 48.More importantly the adjacent ends of the parts 46 and 48 are joined bya safety type pull responsive coupling which comes into play just incase any one nearby trips over the cable. The idea is that the couplingwould then come into play and permit the portions or parts 46 and 48 toseparate thus providing a two-part break-away cable. The upper portion50 of the female coupling unit 52 is fashioned into a resilient socketto accommodate the ball end 54 of the male coupling member 56. Thenumeral 58 designates a limit stop flange which functions in the mannershown in FIG. 2.

In practice the microphone-equipped adapter or frame 18 is mounted inplace on the bell B of the instrument in the manner shown in FIG. 1. Thecable component 48 is connected in any suitable manner with an amplifier(not shown).

The invention well serves the purposes for which it is adapted. Also,the manner of attaching and using the same is doubtless clear from theviews of the drawing. A more extended description is thought to beunnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a musical instrument, a saxophone for example,characterized by tubing defining an unobstructed passage for tone wavesand terminating at an outward end in an outwardly flaring bell having anendless annular bellmouth, a self-contained microphone, an adapterseparate from said microphone, said adapter comprising a one-piece flatspider-type frame including (1) a central hub portion having an innerface on which said micro-phone is accessibly detachably mounted an outerface on which a volume controlling knob is accessibly mounted and (2) aplurality of circumferentially spaced coplanar arms radiating from andcoplanar with said hub portion and having outer terminal end portionswhich are supportively but releasably connected with coacting marginaledge portions of said bell mouth, and cable means comprising a firstcable component having an outer end which is fixedly operatively joinedto said microphone, and a second cable component complemental to saidfirst cable component and having an outer end which is adapted to beoperatively connected with a musical-instrument-type amplifier, saidcable components having adjacent inner ends operatively but separatelyjoined together by safety-type pull responsive separable coupling meanscapable of parting and uncoupling itself should someone accidently tripover the over-all cable and impose a dangerous endwise or a similardanger promoting pull on said cable means whereby in this manner tosafeguard the player of the aforementioned instrument.

2. For use on the bell of a horn, a saxophone for example, a soundpickup microphone structurally and functionally suitable for theparticular horn on which it is to be used, said microphone havingself-contained manually regulatable volume control means, and an adapteron which said microphone is mounted, said adapter having self-containedmeans which is capable of being attached to the mouth portion of thebell of said horn, said adapter comprising a flat spider-like frameincluding 1) a central apertured hub portion on which said microphone isdetachably mounted and (2) aplurality of coplanar circumferentiallyspaced arms radiating from said hub portion and having free outerterminal end portions which are supportively but releasably connectiblewith coacting marginal edge portions of said bell mouth, said outerterminal end portions being provided with individual padprotected hookswhich are individually shaped to be attachably and detachably hookedover circumferentially spaced rim portions of the mouth of said bell.

3. The combination defined in and according to claim 2, and, incombination, cable means comprising a first cable component, one end ofwhich is fixedly joined to said microphone, and a second complementalcable component, said cable components having adjacent inner endsoperatively but separably joined together by safety-type pull-responsiveseparable coupling means which has the capability of uncoupling itselfshould someone accidentally trip over the over-all cable and impose adangerous endwise or similar danger-promoting pull on said cable,whereby to safeguard the player of said instrument.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,574,591 11/1951 Rudd 84-101FOREIGN PATENTS 424,892 8/ 1968 Great Britain. 1,053,165 9/1953 France.

ELI LIEBERMAN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 84--l.04

